Personality Development

  PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

                                                                                                By

                                                                                                Dr. K. Chitra Chellam

Developing Positive Personality

Subconscious Programming:

 Our conscious mind is like a watchman.  And the subconscious mind is a storehouse which stores previous information, knowledge, beliefs, experience and comments of other persons.

             Most of us feed wrong messages or programmes to our subconscious mind like “Do not do that”, “Don’t take the risk”, “You cannot do that” and so on. Such messages will create bad effects on any person.

            Personality can be programmed by putting positive beliefs and information into the storehouse but without the knowledge of the watchman.  [i.e.conscious mind].

            Suppose if we think positively like “I am good at public speaking”.  And the store consists of negative messages and comments given by others like “you are poor in communication”, “You cannot speak will in public” and “you do not have good body language”. The watchman compares the new positive information with the knowledge in the storehouse and rejects the new information.  According to the watchman, this new information is a wrong one and he does not allow it enter into the storehouse. Thus it becomes very difficult to change the personality and behavior positively.  Positive information must be fed into storehouse (subconscious mind) without the obstruction of watchman (conscious mind).

            We can programme our mind positive traits during the twilight period i.e., just before sleeping and just before waking up.  Only during this time, the conscious mind is active and will accept positive traits.

Reinforced programming (or) Conscious programming:

     Auto suggestion [developing positive traits voluntarily] and repetition of positive traits helps us to achieve success in programming our mind positively.  They influence both our conscious and subconscious mind in the long run and shapes our personality and attitude.  Auto-suggestive thoughts should be mixed with emotions and faith. Our subconscious mind is like a garden.  To make the garden fertile, seeds of more desirable crops must be sown.  If not, weeds will grow in abundance.  To develop our subconscious mind, positive thoughts must be fed voluntarily and negative thoughts of destructive nature must not be allowed into the rich garden of mind.

Defensive approach:

     There are 2 approaches.  First approach is deny the negative traits before they could enter into the subconscious mind.  And the second approach is avoid the situation which would tempt us to feed negative traits.

 Imaginary Anchoring (or) Invisible Counseling committee:

     We imitate great personalities who have impressed us.  For example, while watching a movie, we imagine ourselves in the place of the hero. Each person has Invisible Counseling Committee within himself.  This committee consists of great personalities who have impressed us.  We take decisions by following their principles and we also acquire from them their positive traits.

 Physical Action (or) Body language approach:

     We must practice positive traits whether we achieve success or not.  Personality traits control our body language.  We can also change our negative traits towards positive traits by developing or practicing the body language for positive traits

 Domino-effect (or) direct exposure to good personalities:

     Direct contact with good personalities will shape our personality.  Similarly, the organization culture and structure will also influence our personality.

SELF –CONCEPT

     Each person is a composite of body, mind and spirit with needs which are physical, psychological and spiritual [relating to the soul].  When these needs are properly fulfilled, whole human organism will be healthy and the person will be happy.  To fulfill these needs, we should develop a true and deep love of self and accept ourselves as we are.  In order to achieve this, a person must form a realistic idea about himself.  Idea about himself is called self concept which is important for personality development.

Formation of self-concept:

     Self concept is the process of gaining self-awareness.  It is one’s own definition of one’s relationship with the environment around himself.  It consists of mental images an individual has about his physical, social and psychological characteristics.  Self-concept is what we understand about ourselves.

Physical Characteristics:

      I am tall or short.

     I am fat or slim.  

Social Characteristics:

     I am sociable.

     I am shy.

     I have confidence.

Psychological Characteristics:

     I am pessimistic or optimistic.

     I am happy.

     I can take decisions easily.

      Our self-concept develops in several ways.  One way is through self-appraisal. Self-appraisal can be done by looking into a mirror and read our biography. E.g., I am tall, I am fair, I have dark hair etc.

      Self-concept begins in infancy stage at 6 to 7 months.  During this period, a child begins to identify his parts i.e., hands, feet, toes and fingers by his personal experience.  The child knows nothing about himself, except what he hears others saying.  He keeps hearing his name, hears his parents, teachers and companions calling him strong, smart, pretty, good etc.  He readily accepts others judgement and begins to form ideas about himself such as “I am a good boy”, “I am clever”, “I am strong” and so on.

Dimensions of self-concept:

	Actual self concept	Ideal self concept
Private self	Actual self How I actually see myself? E.g., I am little darker.	Ideal self How I would like to see myself? E.g., I want to be fair.
Public self	How others actually see me? E.g., Others think that I am an average student.	How I would like others to see me? E.g., I want others to think that I am a brilliant student.

SELF ESTEEM

     Self esteem occurs in every facet of life.  It is the face behind success and failure, the face behind successful achievement and peak performance.  Self- esteem is the feeling of being happy.  The definition of positive self esteem is that of life of happiness, of sound mind and health.  When we are not casing about what people say about us, we live a happier life, a healthier life and a more successful life.  Happier life style controls stress.  It leads to a prolonged life expectancy.

     Self- esteem is a term used in psychology to reflect a person’s overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth.  Self- esteem is our appraisal, our evaluation and our feeling about ourselves.  

     Self- esteem increases our confidence.  It we have confidence we will have self respect and then we respect others, improve our relationships and become happier whether we are young or old, famous or not, looking at ourselves with a positive regard is self- esteem. Self- esteem may be high self -esteem or low self -esteem.

High self- esteem:

     High self-esteem is when we feel good, happy, and satisfied about our self.  When we think we are capable of achieving anything.  When we have lot of energy, confidence and persistence to achieve success at any time.

Low self-esteem:

     Low self-esteem is when we don’t feel good about ourself.  When we think we are not worth of even trying to move forward.  When we are focusing on our weaknesses instead of paying attention to our strengths we have low self- esteem.

     People with high self esteem are more ambitious.  They communicate openly and honestly about their needs and desires.  They willingly admit their mistakes.  They choose healthy relationship.  They treat others with respect and fairness.

     Low self-esteem causes depression, unhappiness insecurity, low confidence and inner criticism.

Steps to the taken to increase self-esteem:

 Formulate realistic goals:

     We must know who we are, our capabilities and our limitations.  We must know what we can and cannot do.  This will help us to develop goals that we can reach and achieve.

 Be optimistic:

     We must have positive attitude about our self.   i.e., we must look at our self in a positive manner.  If we look at our self in a negative manner, we will not be able to do a work and we can’t achieve anything and we will not be happy.

 Remember the success:

     We should not always think about failures and our weaknesses, but remember always the success we achieved and our strengths.

 Have self-esteem:

     We must motivate ourselves and should not expect others to motivate us, e.g., buy a gift if you achieve something.

 Strengthen the social support system:

     We should always have around us friends and family members who believe in us and our capabilities.  We must be among people who will help us increase our self-confidence and self-esteem.

     Success in life comes from an increase in our self-esteem and confidence.  If we believe in our self, nothing will stand in the way of our dreams.

PERCEPTION

     People have different thinking styles, beliefs, feelings and objectives etc., and almost every individual behaves accordingly.  Just because these factors are different, people take different meaning for the same thing.  For some, a particular thing is right, whereas for some it is totally wrong.

     Thus, perception is a unique way in which an individual understands a situation.  It is not a process of recording a situation.  It differs from person to person.

      Stephen P. Robbins, “Perception may be defined as a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment”.

     Perception is a psychological process.  A person selects the data from the environment, organizes it and obtains meaning from it. People’s action, emotions, thoughts or feelings are influenced by the perception of their surroundings.

Perceptual process / Elements of perceptual process:

 Perceptual inputs (stimuli):

     This is the first stage in the perception process.  In this stage, the perceiver comes across various information (stimuli) in the form of objects, events, people etc.  All these factors exist in the environment itself.  Individuals receive stimuli through sensory organs by hearing, vision, smell, touch, taste and intuition.  When the perceiver interacts with a stimulus, sensation takes place and the perception process starts.

 Selection of stimuli:

     Various forms of stimuli exist in the environment.  Human organisms do not accept all the stimuli received by it.  The process of filtering information (stimuli) received by our senses is called selecting stimuli.

     There are 2 types of factors in the environment.   One is interval and the other is external.  External factors are related to stimuli and they are location, color, size, nature and movement.  Internal factors are learning, psychological needs, age, and interest.

 Organization of stimuli:

     Stimuli are arranged in some form in order to make the incoming information a meaningful one.

 Interpreting process:

     After the data has been received and organized the perceiver interprets or assigns meaning  to the information.

 Checking process:

     After the interpretation, the perceiver checks the interpretation by means of introspection (self-examination).

 Reacting process:

     This is the last stage in the perception process.  The perceiver will indulge in some action in relation to his perception.

Characteristics of the perceiver / Personal characteristics of an individual / Internal factors:

·         Perception of individuals is determined by their needs and motives.  They take things differently according to their needs and motives.

·         Perception also depends upon the idea an individual makes about himself, i.e., his self-concept.

·         A person’s belief has direct impact on his perceptions. He thinks according to his beliefs and he will not think beyond his personal beliefs.

·         Perceptions are also influenced by their past experience.

·         Current psychological or emotional states of people also play an important role in perception.  A person in a good mood will perceive in a different manner as compared to a person who is not in a good mood.

·         A person’s opinion about the behavior of a particular person will also determine his perception.  For example, if a person thinks that Mr. X will never do anything good to him then even if Mr. X is on the right track, he will be considered as a wrong person.

ATTITUDE

     Attitude is an approach to something.  An attitude is behavior indicating opinion and sentiment.  Attitude also means the way we respond to a situation, expression of thoughts and feelings, out likes and dislikes towards a particular thing.

Four (4) attitudes to develop our personality:

Attitude to self:

     A person must think well of himself.  He should not like see his worst side, his defects and his weakness.  He must have self-knowledge, self-respect, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-assessment and self-development.

 Attitude to life:

     Our own thoughts make our life or spoil our life.  The hard work, quality and power of our positive thoughts about inner self.

     To achieve positive attitude to life, we need qualities like idealism, optimism, enthusiasm, calmness, imagination and humour.

Attitude to others:

     To appreciate others properly and before criticizing others, we must known about ourselves.  From our own feelings, and experiences we should try to understand the needs of others.  Help others to think well of themselves.  Help them to increases their self-esteem.  We can develop our personality by developing good social habits such as

                    a) Generosity                            e) Impartiality

                    b) Sympathy                              f) Appreciation

                    c) Politeness

                    d) Friendliness

 Attitude to work:

     We must have a sight attitude to work.  We can’t be happy unless we enjoy work.   Every job has a challenge which creates in us “will to work”.  If the will (desire) to work is strong, then we can get more job satisfaction.  If the will to work is weak, then we feel bored and frustrated.

     We must know what we are going to contribute to the welfare of the family and to the society.

     A job is perceived by 2 persons in 2 angles.  One person perceives his job as a service to the community and the other perceives his job as a source of earnings.

     To develop positive attitude to work, we must have industry, concentration, perseverance, promptness, efficiency and resourcefulness.

TEAM BUILDING

     A team is a group of members having complementary silks.  Members work together to achieve a common goal.  Each member has an obligation to achieve the goal. 

Team building:-

     Team building is the process of improving the functioning of team members.  Members are trained and motivated through lectures, discussions and training programmes.  They are trained and motivated in order to enable them to work with cooperation and to complete the work easily and effectively.

Types of Teams:-

     Teams perform various functions.  They can make products, provide services, negotiate deals, coordinate projects, offer advice and take decisions.  There are 4 most common types of teams in an organization.  They are,

 Problem-solving teams:

      Problem solving team consists of 5 to 12 employees working in the same department.  These members meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency and the work environment.

 Self- managed work teams:

     This team consists of 10 to 15 employees performing highly related or interdependent jobs.  They take on many of the responsibilities of former supervisors.  These members perform the following functions:

     a) Planning and scheduling of work.

     b) Assigning tasks (work) to members.

     c) Collective control.         

     d) Making operating decisions.

     e) Solving problems.

     f) Dealing with suppliers and customers.

 Cross-functional teams:

     This team consists of employees from the same level of management, but from different work areas.  They join together to achieve a task.  They team members exchange information, develop new ideas, solve problems and coordinate complex projects.

 Virtual teams:

     Virtual team consists of members from the same organization.  This team also consist organization’s members and the employees of other organizations.  The members meet for a few days to solve a problem, or meet for a few months to complete a project, or exist permanently.

     There is no face to face communication among the team members.  Virtual teams use computer technology to tie together (combine) physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.  Members also use communication links like video conferencing, or e-mail.

Creating Effective Teams / Improving team effectiveness:

     Factors to be considered for improving team effectiveness.

 Work design:

     Team members should work together, and design includes variable like

                                    a) Freedom.                

                                    b) Opportunity to use different skills and talents.

                                    c) Ability to complete a task

                                    d) Motivation.

     These work design variables increase member’s sense of responsibility and their involvement in the work.

 Composition:

     Composition includes variables which must be considered in selecting team members.  As such, variables to be considered are

a)      Abilities of members (technical expertise, problem solving skills, decision                                                      making skills, inters personal skills and personality

b)      Size of teams (seven of nine members).

c)      Flexibility of members.              

d)     Member’s preference for teamwork.

 Context:

     There are 4 contextual factors which improve the performance of teams.  They are

a)      Adequate resources available in the organization timely information, technology, adequate staffing, encouragement and administrative assistance.

b)      Leadership

c)      Trust – members must trust each other.

d)     Performance evaluation and reward systems- evaluating and rewarding employees for their individual contribution.

 Process:-

     Process variables include the following.

     a) Commitment to a common purpose.

     b) Establishment of specific goals.

     c) Team efficiency- confidence of team members that they can succeed.

     d) Task conflicts which improve team effectiveness.

Importance of team building

·         Team members work with a common goal and purpose.

·         A team encourages discussion, interaction and exchange of news and views among members.

·         Output or the performance of the team is normally better than the output of individuals.

·         Work teams help in increasing employee motivation.

·         Teams help in creating social life (good interpersonal relations).

·         Teams encourage interaction which leads to improved communication.

·         Teams promote innovation, creativity and flexibility.

·         Teams reduce wastage, cost, labour turnover and absenteeism.

·         Team members can develop their technical, decision making and interpersonal skills.

·         Employees have a better work life, and face less stress at work.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

   Conflict may be described as a disagreement between individuals or groups.  A conflict     may have both positive aspects and negative aspects.  Some optimum level of conflict, stress and tension are necessary for progress and productivity.

Functional aspect of conflict (positive aspect):-

·         Conflict helps the management to make necessary changes in the organization.

·         A minimum level of conflict arouses creativity and innovation.

·         It promotes group cohesion.  Group cohesion is a situation in which all members of the group work together to achieve a common goal.

·         Conflict helps in releasing tension and brings people back to normal situation.

Dysfunctional aspect of conflict (negative aspects):-

·         Conflict creates tension and stress.

·         Intense conflict generates feelings of anxiety, guilt, frustration, and hostility (enemity).

·         People try to focus more their personal goals rather than organization goals.

·         Conflict affects the stability of the organization.

·         Short-term problems are given much importance.

·         Sabotage and illegal activities may takes place.

NEGOTIATION SKILLS

     Negotiation is the process of trying to reach an agreement through discussion.               

     Negotiation is any form of meeting or discussion in which the parties arrive at an agreed decision through argument and persuasion.

Need for negotiation:

§  When a problem cannot be solved by a single person.

§  Negotiation can take place only when both the concerned parties are willing to meet and discuss an issue.

Factors affecting negotiation:

1. Place:

     The place of meeting for negotiations influences the level of confidence.  Choosing a place, like our own office has many advantages.  We can also get all the information required for negotiation.

2. Time:

     Time for holding discussing should be fixed according to mutual convenience of concerned parties.  There should be adequate time for exchange of ideas.

3. Personal relationship between the parties involved in the process of discussion.

4. Fear of power, authority and higher connections.

5. Status difference.

6. Expectations about outcomes.

7. Reputation of the other person.

8. Work pressures.

9. Personal likes and dislikes.

 Negotiation is also known as bargaining

Negotiation strategies:

Initial strategies:

·         Plan the whole discussion according to the psychological needs of the parties involved   in discussion                

·         Get maximum information about the views and objectives of the other party.

·         Think from the point of view of the other party.

·         Give importance to arrive at an agreed conclusion by joint problem solving.

·         Allow other persons to say their wishes.

During the discussion:

·         Do not explain the whole case in the beginning.  Develop the case as the discussion proceeds.

·         Listen to the other person’s argument.

·         Notice his tone because the tone will tell us how the other person feel-confident or   nervous irritated or cool.

·         Do not interrupt.

·         Encourage cooperation throughout the discussion.

·         Do not criticize.

·         Allow a short break of 10 minutes during the discussion

·         Short break is necessary to collect new points and to change the mood of the discussion.

·         Move the discussion further by giving some concessions.

                       Use conditional compromise. (e.g.) “Would you do ‘X’ if I  accept  to do ‘Y’”.

·         Mention the benefits the other person would get from your compromise suggestion.

·         Do not make the other person feel that he is losing something by accepting your offer of concession or compromise.

·         Praise the other party for a good suggestion that you are going to accept.

 Reaching an agreement:

·         After a long and difficult discussion, final decision is taken.  No further concessions or compromises should be allowed.

·         The key strategy in any negotiation is “persuasive”.

·         Emphasize the other party’s benefits.

·         Appreciate the other party’s cooperation and brilliant suggestions.

Stages of the Negotiation process:

 Preparation and Planning:

        a) You should know what do you want from negotiation and what are you goals.

        b) Anticipate your opponent’s position,and his views.

        c) Gather adequate information about him.

        d) Plan your argument.

        e) Know the subject matter of the discussion.

 Be realistic about objectives:

        Be realistic if you fail to persuade the other person to accept your ideal solution. Then you should be prepared to come down in your expectations.  Assess each party’s bargaining position.

 The negotiating phase: 

a.       Parties begin the discussion by defining issues.

b.      Argument takes place.

c.       Each party then puts forward what it expects.

d.      The parties then move to a possible solution which is the outcome of the argument.     

e.       Firm proposals are then made, discussed and often modified before both the parties accept them.

f.       Finally, an agreement is stated and concluded.

 Implementation:

a.       Confirm the agreement in writing.

b.      Mention the implementation programme in the agreement.

c.       Communicate the agreement to all the concerned parties.

SELF AWARENESS

     Self awareness is the discovery of one’s own personality.  Self awareness is the ability to know ourselves.  We must have self awareness to develop a better personality and to succeed in life, to become more confident and to build a high self-esteem.  We must be aware of our positive and negative behavior and traits.

To be aware about ourselves, we must know about the following:

       a) Our goals in life.

       b) The things and events that make us happy.

       c) Strengths and weaknesses.

       d) Values and beliefs.

       e) Our philosophy in life.

       f) Our achievements and how we attained them.

        g) Our failures and causes of failures and what can be done to prevent them.

        h) Our relationship with others

        i) Our way of dealing with people, events and things.

        j) How we see ourselves and others.

Importance of Self awareness:-

·         Self awareness develops our personality.

·         It increases our confidence and morale.

·         It helps to set realistic and specific goals.

·         It helps to achieve our goals.

·         It helps to develop our interpersonal skills.

·         It helps us to learn from our own mistakes and failures.

·         It helps us to take efforts to overcome one weaknesses and to develop our capabilities.

·         It increases the possibilities of success.

·         It helps us to change our negative behavior.

Ways to develop Self Awareness:

Adhering to good values:

     We should follow those values which will help us become more self-aware.  These values are humility, honesty and ambition.  If we are humble, it will be easier for us to accept our mistakes and we accept criticisms and corrections.

     Honest allows a person to focus on things that must be changed because he is true to himself.

     Ambition, motivates a person to change because he has high expectations of himself and understands that to meet those expectations, he has to do needs to be done, including pinpointing his strengths and weaknesses.

 Using self-help books:

     We should lead a lot of books on personality development which will teach the various ways to be self-aware.  Books suggest a lot of techniques which can be applied to develop self awareness.

 Getting a life coach:-

     Mentors give guidance and show the ways of improving self awareness.  So we can also seek the help of such mentors.

SELF MONITORIING

      Self Monitoring is the systematic recording of our own actions, thoughts and feelings, for the purpose of changing these aspects of behavior using behavior modifications techniques.  Self Monitoring is the process of assessing our thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

     If refers to the process of through which people regulate their own behavior in order to “look good” so that they will be perceived by others in a favourable manner.

High self monitors:

     People who closely monitor themselves are known as high self-monitor and often behave in a manner that is highly responsible to social cues.  They try to impress others and receive positive feedback.

     High self-monitors tend to monitor their surrounding and change their behavior to fit in.  They imitate the behavior of other people.  They impress people.  They watch other people, what they do and how they respond to the behavior of others.  They are very self-conscious and adapt (adjust) well to differing social situations.

Low self monitors:

     Low self monitors do not participate in excessive control.  They use inner beliefs and values in deciding how to behave.  They are generally oblivious to how others see them.   They are quality conscious.

     In advertising, high self monitors respond more to image based ads that promise to make them look good, while low self monitors respond better to product based ads and prefer high quality goods.

     Self monitoring is an executive control funition.  If we have self monitoring skills, we will have the ability to control ourself.  It helps us to improve our behavior.

Self Monitoring strategies:-

     1. Self-recording

     2. Self-observation

     3. Self-instruction

     4. Self-reinforcement.

Type A and Type B Personality Theory:

Type A Personality:

     Type A individuals can be described as impatient, time-conscious, perfectionist, concerned about their status, highly competitive ambitious, business-like, aggressive, having difficulty in relaxing and are unhappy about delays.  They have strong entrepreneurial spirits (risk takes).  As such, they embrace changes and are always looking for practical solution for solving problems.

     The term Type A personality was coined in the 1950s by cardiologists, Dr. Meyer Friedman and Dr. Ray Rosenman.  They theorized that people who were labeled Type A were more likely to suffer heart attacks.  The term quickly came into public use, and became even more commonly known as a result of a book published in 1974 by the 2 doctors “Type A Behaviour and Your Heart”.

Type B personality: ( lower, relaxed and easy going)

·         The type B personality generally lives at a lower stress level.

·         They work steadily and enjoy achievement but not becoming stressed when they are not achieved.

·         When faced with competition, they do not mind losing and they enjoy the game.

·         They may be creative.

·         They have more patience.

·         They like to travel, be part of groups and are centre of attraction.

·         They are supportive and direct in their approach.

·         They are relaxed and easy going.

·         They want others to like them and can be easily hurt if theory they think someone doesn’t care for them.

·         They do very well in sales, advertisement, marketing and public speak.

Type A personality: (generally lives at a higher stress level)

·         They enjoy achievement of goals, with greater enjoyment in achieving of more difficult goals.

·         They work hard to achieve the goals.

·         They find it difficult to stop, even when they have achieved goals.

·         They are conscious.

·          They are highly competitive and will, if necessary create competition

·         They hate failure and will work to avoid it.

·         They are impatient.

·         Perfectionist and more concerned about their statement.

·         They are often well-educated.

·         Type ‘A’ personalities are often found as business owners, managers and sales people.

Introverts:

      Introverts are more concerned with the inner would of the mind.  They enjoy thinking, exploring their thoughts and feelings.  They want to be alone.  An introvert may not be shy at all but may not prefer social activities.  They often have taken pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, drawing, and using computers.  The artist, writer, sculptor, composer and inventor are all highly introverted.  They like to work independently.  They appear reserved, quiet and thoughtful.  They do not have many friends.  They do not like unexpected visits.  They think before acting.  They are absent mind and day –dreamers.

Extroverts:

     Enjoy human interactions, and are enthusiastic, talkative, assertive and gregarious.  They take pleasure in social activities such as parties, community activities, business or political groups.  Polities, teaching, sales, managing, brokering and acting are fields that favour extroversion.  As extroverted person do not want to be alone but like to enjoy time spent with people.  Extroverts make new friends easily.  They are interested in what is happening around them.  They compare their own opinions with the opinion so others.  They are initiative and easily break unwanted relations.

GROUP DISCUSSION

     In an organization professionals meet and discuss a problem or a matter related to the function, growth or expenses of the organization. Group discussion is used to judge to suitability of the candidate for the job.  It is a personality test conducted by public and private sector undertakings, IIM_S, universities and other educational institutions to screen candidates.

During group discussion, employer assesses the personality traits of applicants.  Personality traits expected by employer are grasping power, communication skills, leadership qualities, analytical ability and group behaviour.

Features of group discussion:

·         A group consists of 8 to 10 candidates.

·         20 to 30 minute time to complete the discussion is given.

·         Group discussion is not a debate.

·         Each candidate is addressed by his or her roll number.  Roll number is displayed in front of the candidate.

·         First the topic is given.

·         Panel of judges observe and evaluate the performance of each participant closely.

·         Group discussion begins with chief evaluator addressing the group for 2 to 3 minutes.

·         He also gives out the criteria for evaluation.

·         Initially the group discussion starts without a leader.

·         During the discussion, the member who has the leadership quality becomes the leader.

·         Topic is given to group beforehand so that they can formulate their views for preparation.

Requirements for effective group discussion:

·         Participant must pay attention to the opinion of other participants.

·         Participant must gather adequate information from newspaper, magazines, journals, books etc.

·         He must listen to the speeches given by experts.

·         He must have adequate knowledge about the subject.

·         He must also have common sense.

·         Participant must use simple words, respectful language.  Disagreement must be done politely. 

·         He must be courteous and have good facial expression.  Because good facial expressions convey feelings and emotions.

·         He must have good body language.

·         He must have good communication skills.

·         He must have the ability to control emotions.

·         He must be a good listener.  Listen with understanding.

·         He should not be silent. If he is silent,  then it would mean that he has insufficient knowledge.

·         Message should be precise, but important matters should not be omitted.

·         Group discussion must have a leader.

·         The participant should have the ability to accept criticism.

·         There must be active participation.

·         He must have analytical ability.

·         He must have confidence.  He should not be nervous.

·         Participants should be flexible, have imitativeness and creativity and decision making ability.

·         Each participant must cooperative with other participants, encourage and appreciate other participants.

·         To begin, the participant must speak to the person sitting diagonally opposite to him or begin speaking to the person who has just finished talking.

·         Language should be formal, simple and correct spoken English must be used,

·         Formal dress must be worn.

(e.g.) Men in business suites,

          Ladies in sarees / formal salwar kameez.

·         Good body language (straight, hands together in the front or on the edge of the table).

Difference phases in group discussion:

Initiation (or) introduction:

     When the candidate starts a group discussion, he gets the opportunities to speak and also attracts the attention of evaluators and other participants. He must make a good impression by giving correct information, facts and must have communication skills.  If he has started the group discussion but do not speak much after that, then it would mean that he has started the group discussion just for setting the points allotted for an initiator.

Initiator can use     1) Quotes.

                               2) Definition.

                               3)  Ask a question.

                               4) Give facts, figure and statistical data.

                               5) Short story.

Body of the group discussion:

     Body of the group discussion depends upon the nature of the topic, knowledge of the participants and number of members. It consist of various points discussed by participants in favour of or against the topic.

Summarization:

      Group discussion must end with summarization or conclusion.  Most group discussion do not have conclusion and the whole group arrive at a decision.  Take decision either in favour or against the topic.

     While summarizing group discussion, points to be considered are

·         New points should not be given.

·         Views of all participants must be mentioned.

·         Brief.

·         All important points must be incorporated.